In the UK the previous system we had was government grants; as in the government just handed out money to students.

They've replaced that with student loans. As far as I know the way it's done is the interest is capped at the rate of inflation.

06-06-2002

Fordy

Quote:

Originally posted by Troll_King Interest and inflation are different things. While infation has to do with the purchasing power of money compared to some standard bread basket of goods, interest is a constant rate that affects your debt. If you don't reduce the debt quickly than you will end up paying more due to interest on a larger sum. I don't know how they can maintain that amount with inflation when it is the creditor that controlls how much he has to pay, unless the debt payment is amortized.

Often it isnt the creditor who controls the amount to pay......the loan will often be configured as an amount over the base rate (Set by government and therefore altered over the life of the loan) and will often be tied in over a space of time (3 years,4 years.....). Usually you can only control the amount you pay on short term loans like overdrafts and credit cards.

Quote:

Originally posted by Clyde
As far as I know the way it's done is the interest is capped at the rate of inflation.

Yeah more or less......probably a little markup for admin, but I dont think they make anything ( I havent looked in years.....)....in all probability they lose money (if the rate charged is less than the base rate)

06-06-2002

RobS

Our government (ie the UK one) doesn't control our interest rates anymore, a\the Bank of England Committee does. At least its not the Central European Bank yet.

Inflation is a measure of a governments inability to control economic growth and the supply and demand of "key" goods and services.

Naturally governments want to keep inflation low whilst maintaining high employment, which is tricky in itself. And they do cheat buy putting items with high depreciation rates, such as PC's and other high tech items in the "standard basket".

As for loans and grants, grants you paid back over your entire life through taxation, loans you pay back in fixed term depending on amount borrowed, number of loans and monthly income. When I had to start paying back the loan I was earning £7 more a month than the limit, my repayments are more than £7 a month.

06-06-2002

Barjor

Quote:

Originally posted by Fountain RIGHT-I want no more US replies cos this is getting silly.

BARJOR---u r a A hole......if you are in the UK, you would have being paying for student GRANTS for a long while up to 5 yrs ago, and now you say you dont want your taxes to pay for me...get a job and a life before you dare slag me off. Taxes paid for it year on year etc etc....DAMN im angry...who the......oh yes which IDIOT said the loans are interest free.....JESUS wept-NO THEY are NOT...they are low interest (ie inflation capped etc)..MAN ALIVE you work harder than most ppl on here for 15 yrs before going back to UNI, and you just get weird posts. And if you get ill BARJOR (and u are really british) I WANT IT READ THAT MY NI CONTRIBUTIONS SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR YOUR BRAIN ENHANCEMENT-as it will still be a waste of cash.

MM

Ok not that I really care for your pathetic attempt to flaming but I would like to put some things straight about me. I do have a job. I was working 40h weeks through school so I don't have any student loans. If you don't want to take a loan, get a job. If you don't want to work get a loan but read the fine print and live with the fact that you have honor that agrement and pay it all back. It is a loan not a gift. Do you want me to explain the concept of a loan for you?

06-06-2002

Zeeshan

Oh, i read the previous posts, and i think my university is the best. NED University of Engineering and Tech. in Pakistan takes only 250$ a YEAR for the Electronics Engineering (B.E. - 4 yrs course) and the degree is still internationally recognized.

Well, actually the self-finance students have to pay about 4000$ for their admission.

But, 70% are sponsored by the government...i.e. only 250$ in US$ (actually 15,000 rupees).

Do i want you to explain the concept of a loan to me? As i said before it is the principle of the loan system that i am debating...If you read the other posts you will see i have a job...now, if there is any one and i mean any one out there that can work a 40hr week and pass computing degrees at Uni...say it now...

there are not enough hours in a week-trust me i know.

unless you learnt psychology or something-thats the usual layabout way through Uni...or maybe art?

I personally dont care where your taxes go, but it should be of benefit to the country.

If you drop down dead tommorrow, there needs to be some1 to replace you, suitably qualified. People will not go to Uni if funds do not allow it.

The UK has a massive economy (4th largest i think) and we have POTS of money. The underfunding is one issue, but not for discussion here.

The grant system was a good system which worked fine.

The only thing that changed was the new government targets for school leavers to go on to further, then higher education...

I know they thought, lets put loans in instead..that will help.

The problem is only middle/upper class students were applying because of funding, and now it is WORSE because of the loan system.

Still we get nurses from abroad and now the MET are recruiting bobby's from TONGA of all places, so the next step will be recruit more and more qualified ppl from abroad.

And ppl think loans are needed because grants were too expensive..............

:o

06-07-2002

Clyde

"The UK has a massive economy (4th largest i think) and we have POTS of money"

Errrrmmmmm......... we do NOT have "pots" of money, why do think the NHS is so screwed? Why do you think state school teachers and nurses get paid so little? The government simply cannot afford the grant system anymore because there number of people going into higher education is far greater than when the grant scheme was introduced.

06-08-2002

Fountain

I think you will find we DO have pots of money....its just politics where it goes..Nurses wont get paid much more-fact of life, not because we dont have enough money. The simple facts regarding more Uni applications than before is because the governments introduced new targets for application levels-BECAUSE THEY WERE LOW, especially from poorer families. Wasnt because grants were too expensive. We like to keep paying off our national debt (which is good), but maybe the money could be put to better use.